


Magnetism

by FreeArchive



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Bruises, F/F, Fade to Black, Implied Sexual Content, Multi, Read Summary for Clarification, Rivals to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:00:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22108234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreeArchive/pseuds/FreeArchive
Summary: Hope Mikaelson has a problem—she has a crush on both Josie and Lizzie. Torn between feelings and friendship, she doesn't know what to do.Until Penelope Park waltzes into her life with a cruel streak. And Hope can't help but find something irresistible about her.{Henelope}{Hope x Penelope}^Phosie only happens in Ch6, please read the author note for clarification. This is a Henelope fic but there is an alternative ending where they end up together
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson/Penelope Park, Hope Mikaelson/Penelope Park/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 114
Kudos: 322





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I, a normal gay nb, came across Legacies and was like, wow, what a great show. I really like them. I should write something for them. But who? Should I choose the once-canon Posie? The adorably-soft Hosie? Even the very likable Hizzie? 
> 
> But oh, no, I saw these ships and was like... okay but what about Henelope? And thus we are here. I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> ^  
>  **Okay, so as mentioned in the summary this is a Henelope fic with the main focus on Henelope.**
> 
> **Phosie is tagged for Chapter Six which is an alternative ending (that tbh I quite like but isn't canon-canon?). Please understand this so that if you are searching for Phosie, you aren't disappointed. Thank you.**

Hope Mikaelson was a little gay. 

It wasn't something she'd ever given much thought to as she'd never actually had a problem. Among supernaturals, they were used to deviating from the norm, as people said. Teenagers were hormonal, they had feelings. They had their fair shares of awkward run ins. Being gay was normal for them. 

Hope, never having friends or family to really tell, had kept it to herself. It wasn't a secret persay, she just hadn’t explicitly told anyone. 

But the fact kept running through her mind as she watched Josie and Lizzie running around on the pitch. 

Her eyes wandered where they shouldn't have—they were her _friends_ , and friends didn't look at each other like that. But Josie looked irresistible in those shorts and Lizzie had tied her hair back differently, revealing a length of neck that was so quite kissable. 

_I am so gay._

Hope sighed and looked back down at her book. 

She'd come out to the pitch to study under the sun. It was such a nice day, why not? She hadn't known they'd be training or playing today. Which meant the Saltzman twins were such a distraction to her school life. 

Even when she tried to read, movement caught her eye and she looked up again. It was Lizzie's blonde hair, or Josie's laugh, _something_ that drew her back to them. And it was hard to look away. 

She sighed again. 

She had only just gotten into friendly terms with them—after years of hostility and fighting. And of course, in her very Hope way, she was going to ruin with her stupid gayness. 

Hope… hadn't really dated in the past. Of course, there had been Landon but he, well, he hadn't ended peacefully. She winced, not wanting to remember. He was Rafeal's brother and for the sake of their friendship, she'd forgiven him. But nothing more. Which meant that the twins were a whole new thing. 

Hope wasn't blind to beauty. Both insanely attractive in their own ways, she found no surprise that some of the other students fancied them. She just hadn't expected herself to fall so quickly and hard. 

Hope sat back and sighed once again. Okay, so studying wasn't happening. Not that she really needed to study, she was aceing all her classes. She just needed to get a little bit in and thought this the ample opportunity. 

But not right now. 

Hope closed her book and leaned forward, not bothering to hide that she was watching. There were only a few others out by the bleachers and the players weren’t paying much attention to her. Hope sat by the edge, not wanting to be too obvious. 

Lizzie threw the ball to MG down the other side of the pitch, the spin clearly trailing a speed spell. MG leapt to catch it and then he was running again. Super Squad did make a good team. 

They’d asked her if she wanted to play but she’d opted out. She thought she’d get a little too distracted. Really, how did MG do it? Though, he was far more gentlemanly than she was and kept his eyes to himself. 

Hope looked away just in time to see Josie trip his tackler and they scored. 

A cheer rose from their team and twins highfived. 

Of course, she couldn't have a normal crush. There were plenty of, relatively, normal students that she could have been interested in. But first Landon, a whole fucking phoenix, and now the Gemini twins. Just her luck, huh? 

Hope bit her lip. She knew Josie was gay or bi or pan, something that gave her chance, if she ever wen for it. Lizzie was another story but either way, neither of them were in to her. They were just… too good for her. 

"Wow, keep it in your pants, huh?" a voice drawled from behind her. "If I were you, I'd advert my eyes before the whole school knows of your crush. You aren't very subtle." 

Hope jumped like she’d electrocuted. She whipped around, words ready to defend herself but they died in her throat the moment she saw who it was. 

Behind her, leaning against the edge of the bleachers, was Penelope Park. 

Hope's stomach tightened. Penelope was the reason she knew Josie was into girls. They'd broken up last year but it was common knowledge to everyone, that wasn't a Saltzman, that she was still in love with her. That didn't stop her wicked cruel streak from tormenting Lizzie and literally everyone else around her. 

"Hi, Penelope." Hope tried to keep her voice friendly. She wasn't friends with Penelope. In fact, quite the opposite. Penelope Park was… an interesting person. But she also Josie’s ‘evil’ ex. So as friend codes went, not friends. 

Penelope slid into the seat next to her, a sly grin ghosting her lips. "I am serious. Is it considered sexual harassment if you're only undressing them with your eyes?" 

"What is your problem?" Hope snapped. 

Penelope shrugged carelessly. "Oh, nothing. Nothing really." It didn't reach her eyes. “Just… thinking out loud.” 

Hope shifted. "Then mind your own business." 

Penelope arched an eyebrow. "Oh but the gossip of love is all my business." A smirk played across her lips. "Never thought I'd see the day Hope Mikaelson fancied a girl. Or girls, as I can see. That’s fun." 

Hope's face heated and she looked out at the pitch again. The teams were taking a break. Josie, upon spotting her, almost waved but then stopped when she saw who was next to her. She turned around and refused to look at her. 

"Hmm… your taste is interesting. Josie, I get-' she shrugged, "-but Lizzie? Huh. Never would have seen that. Although, she does have that bossy streak. That's kinda hot. I mean, if you're into that, of course." 

Hope gritted her teeth. "What do you want, Penelope?" 

Nothing good. As per tales, nothing good happened when one got involved with her. Hope wasn’t interested in highschool drama, she was above that. 

Penelope's eyes gleamed. "I'm just a little curious, Hope, as to why you're interested in either of the Saltzmans. What, was Daddy Saltzman not good enough for you?" 

"I'm sorry, what?!" 

Penelope shrugged. "Everyone knows you're weirdly closer to Dr. Saltzman. Is it because of your father, your powers or maybe even that fact that you're a tribrid? I don't care. But it's weird that now suddenly, you're into his daughters." 

"How dare you-?!" 

"So you get to act mad. Please. Neither of them like you. And definitely not like that." 

"You don't know any-" 

"On the contrary, I know everything. And I know Josie." Something shifted in her eyes. “And you are barking up the wrong tree. So step away.” 

"She isn't your girlfriend." 

"She's not yours either!" 

Rage started to build and Penelope's eyes matched it. Hope glared at her. What the fuck was her problem? What was she trying to do? Hope wondered if she was jealous. The twins liked her. They hated Penelope. She wasn’t surprised. 

"I mean, you dated that human boy. But he dumped you, oops. What makes you think they'll love you if even he won't?" 

Mentioning Landon was not the right thing to do. Hope had spent the last month trying to get over him and she had. But the memories still stung. 

"Fuck off, Penelope." Her voice was rising. 

Penelope lunged, getting into her personal space. Barely inches between them, breathing ghosting her lip. 

Penelope breathed out and Hope hated that it stirred something in her chest. Rage, anger, she didn’t know. 

" _Make me_." 

Hope screamed and threw her arms forward. A spell jumped to her lips by pure instinct. A wave of energy threw Penelope off the bleachers and across the pitch. She snapped. 

Penelope got to her feet, eyes gleaming. "That's more like it." 

Hope didn’t have time to duck the spell that came her way. A huge gust of wind that swept her off her feet. She grunted when she hit the wall but struggled back up anyway. 

Penelope strode across the pitch and punched her in the face. Hot pain flashed across her lip and she shrieked. 

Magic was quickly forgotten as it transformed into a physical fight. Hope had trained for years to kill monsters. One angry witch wasn’t a problem. She swept her feet from under her and caught her in a right hook. 

"What is wrong with you?!" Hope shrieked. 

"Wrong with me?! What about you?!" Penelope snarled. 

"Girls!" Dorian, who'd been coaching the teams, rushed over between them. “Whoa, hold up!” He grabbed Hope and pulled her away from Penelope. “What’s going on?” 

And like that, the heat died. 

Hope stood, chest heaving up and down. Penleope might not be a monster killer but damn, she was strong. 

Penelope faced her, breath shallow but eyes so alive. 

Dorian looked between them. "Inside. Now." 

Hope's lip curled and it ached where Penelope had hit her but she held her head high. 

She tried to ignore Josie and Lizzie, who both stared in concern. She also tried to ignore how Josie couldn't decide which one of them to look at—a fact that made Penelope very smug. She smirked. Hope wanted to punch it off her face. 

“Go,” Dorian grumbled. 

Hope walked inside and didn't even look at her.

* * *

Hope really wanted to roll her eyes because this was ridiculous. She couldn't believe Penelope Park had gotten her sent to the Headmaster. For violence. 

Admittedly, Hope hadn't known what had overcome her. Penelope just made her so angry and she'd snapped. And gotten them both in trouble. 

"I am very disappointed in you," Alric said. "Fighting? Using magic against each other? When I agreed to teach offensive magic, its purposes were not supposed to be this. You could have seriously hurt each other." 

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Yeah. Okay." 

For someone who was definitely in as much trouble as Hope, she was awfully calm. 

Hope peeked a glance. A dark bruise was forming itself along her cheek, stark against her perfect skin. Penelope exhaled, lips pursing. Why were her eyes drawn to them? Perfect and supple, a little chapped and bruising. 

Then Penelope looked at her and she couldn't look away. 

"Ahem. As I was saying-" 

Hope wretched her eyes as just as Penelope brew her a kiss. 

She hated how she made her feel. Warm inside, almost fuzzy. 

Alric looked between the two of them but continued. "This won't go unpunished. After class tomorrow, instead of having free time, the two of you will meet Dorian in the library. I believe he has some shelves that need organising-" 

"That's unfair!" Hope protested. "This is her fault." 

Alric frowned. "My reports say that _you_ were the one to start the fight, Hope." 

"Mmhmm, that is true," Penelope said. 

"You-!" 

" _Hope_." 

Hope held her tongue and stuck at just glaring. This wasn't like her. Usually she was the composed one who held all the cards. But Penelope was one step ahead of her and it drove her crazy. 

"I was provoked," Hope said calmly. "By her." 

Penelope just shrugged. "Don't know why. I was just watching the game." 

"Regardless of what happened, you know you shouldn't be using your magic like this," Alric said. "Okay? So now, go. I don't want to hear anymore of this." 

He was disappointed in her. Though she'd never admit it—because Lizzie might actually kill her—she had come to see Alaric as a substitute father figure. He'd never be the same as her actual father and she'd never try to take him from the twins, but he was… special to her. Seeing his disappointment hurt in ways she didn't like. 

"Thanks, sir," Penelope said, touching her lips as she left. She blew Hope a kiss again and closed the door. 

Now left alone with him, Alric’s expression shifted. Maybe he’d come to see her as a daughter. He was a great dad. 

"Hope… what happened?" Alaric asked softly. "This isn't like you." 

Or was it? Hope didn't get violent but she had a show of strength to put on. Everyday, she acted like she wasn’t hurting inside, that she wasn’t broken. Sometimes, it got outside. 

She hated not being in control. Her emotions churned inside her until they burst free in a fit of rage. She sighed before composing her face. "She just… got under my skin. It's fine. It won't happen again." 

Alaric nodded. "Okay." 

He didn't believe her but at least would pretend to for now. He'd surely come back to it eventually. Emma would surely hear something of it. Talking it out in therapy. Right. 

It was evening time, the sun still lingering in the sky. She knew she should try to get that bit of studying in but right now, her mind was consumed by Penelope Park. That righteous smug smirk made her toes curl. She wanted to slap it off her face. 

Hope walked through the corridors towards her room. Being alone would be best. She couldn’t stand to see anyone in case she might snap. Lizzie and Josie might just break her. There were other people around and she wondered if news of her fight had spread. 

Like all schools, they liked to gossip. 

"Hope!" 

She turned to see Rafael running up behind her. Without much choice, and not seeming like a dick, she smiled. "Hey, Raf." 

"Hey, Hope. I heard what happened today, you okay?" 

They'd grown closer over the weeks he'd come here, though she still wasn't talking to Landon. He'd tried multiple times to find peace between her and his brother but nothing worked. She wasn't interested. So he settled for being the strong wall that both sides were friends with. 

"Yeah, yeah, just… you know Penelope. She can… worm her way into your mind." 

Like she was right now. Hope kept replaying that moment she snapped in her mind. Penelope leaning in, eyes dark and gleaming. Intense. Her breath hot against her mouth, almost close enough to kiss- and then two words that sent a shiver down her spine. 

_Make me_. 

"Oh. Um. Cool." Rafael smiled at her. "You want to talk about it?" 

"No, I'm okay. Just going to study I think." She patted his arm. "Thanks for asking though. I appreciate it." 

Rafael smiled back. He was a nice guy, handsome and sweet. She could have easily fallen for him. Infact, he'd probably have been the better of the brothers to like. He'd have been less complicated and wouldn't dare ditch her like… he had. 

Hope gave him a hug before continuing back to her room. He didn’t try follow her. Good. She liked him a lot but right now, she wanted no one around her. There were things she needed to deal with alone. Why had Penelope found it so easy to get to her? 

"Someone looks lost in thought," a familiar voice said and Hope groaned. 

Leaning against the wall, bruise still showing, was her. Stupid Penelope. 

"What do you want?" Hope asked, keeping her voice calm. "Why do you keep bothering me?" 

It wasn't like they were friends or even enemies. Hope didn't do that kind of drama. She had bigger plans than highschool fights. 

"No. The question is 'what do _you_ want'." Penelope strode across to face her again. "Think about that now." 

"Is this about Josie? Because again, she's not your girlfriend. So fuck off." 

Penelope laughed, lips curling into that wicked of hers. "Oh, no. I don't see you as a threat in anyway. 

Hope Mikaelson was a little gay. And Penelope Park was a little hot. 

"Leave me alone," Hope snapped. 

And to her surprise, Penelope stepped out of her way. 

Hope pushed by her and went to her room. She didn't have a roommate so it was just her and her thoughts. 

What the fuck had that been? Was she actually thinking about Penelope being attractive? Because she was—Hope wasn't blind—but what? She liked one of the Saltzman twins or both or she didn't really know. She didn't need Penelope to throw a wrench into her feelings. 

"Why are girls so pretty?" she groaned. 

No one answered. 

Hope stared at the wall, her mind a mess, but her thoughts kept coming back to Penelope's lips. Three girls. Each beautiful as they were deadly. 

Hope sighed. She didn't stand a chance. 


	2. Chapter 2

Penelope Park was really gay. 

And that did mess with her feelings a lot. It wasn't bad but sometimes she got distracted. Which meant that she got into trouble. And she was tired of getting in trouble because of pretty girls. 

Penelope sat on a countertop with a bowl grapes while MG stared at her. Like most people, he’d heard about her and Hope’s fight but unlike most people, he was got a first hand account of what happened. She hadn't wanted to talk about it to anyone else. 

"So let me get this straight-" MG said. "-you decided to… pick a fight with Hope Mikaelson. _Hope Mikaelson_ , and have her send you flying across the pitch." He frowned and reached for her face. "Is that where this bruise is from?" 

Penelope slapped his hands away. Hope had a good swing, clattering her cheek hard enough to leave a dark bruise. It hurt to touch. Part of her knew she could ask someone to heal it for her but another part wanted to let it show. 

Perhaps it was a pride thing. She liked how Hope's eyes were drawn to it. Hope had a bruise too, right on her soft lips. 

"Um, yeah, I did," Penelope chuckled. "It was kinda hot." She grinned playfully. "Don't you think so?" 

"You're kinda _crazy_ ," MG said. "What were you thinking?" 

That was the problem. She hadn't been thinking. 

Penelope had wandered outside for a breath of fresh and seen Josie playing on the pitch. Josie, wonderful sweet Josie Saltzman, that she loved and Penelope sighed. Even after all this time her heart still shifted sadly for her. 

But Josie refused to even acknowledge her. 

Penelope hated that she was still in love with her. Well, hate maybe wasn't the right word. She knew her love for Josie was good and came from the heart, she just wanted the best for her. But she hated that it hurt her. 

So Penelope had turned to see Hope sitting on the bleachers, emotions crossing her face with such velocity that she knew she would be an easy target. She needed an outlet to get the feelings out of her system. 

So she just went for her. 

The next thing she knew was Hope yelled and sent her flying across the pitch. The pain was sharp and fresh, sending a shudder through her. It had been a while since she'd felt so alive. 

So Penelope had fought back. 

She could feel such a similar rage in Hope. Rage that simmered for a long time, into it exploded without chains. Maybe they were more alike than she’d known. They’d abandoned their powers just to dish it out. 

And gotten in trouble. 

But it wasn't too bad. Their punishment wouldn't be awful, just organising shelves in the library. They could have been given a lot worse punishments. Quite frankly, it was worth it. 

"Penelope?" 

"Oh, I don't know," she admitted. "It was just fun." 

MG stared at her. "Is this about Josie?" 

"Believe it or not, MG, my world, unlike yours, doesn't revolve around a Saltzman." Penelope popped a grape into her mouth, prickling. "Josie can do what she likes. I just wanted Hope to throw me across the room. It's a sex thing, you probably wouldn't understand." 

Despite her little quips, MG still looked at her and shook his head. He'd gotten used to her digs. "Still can't believe it…" 

Penelope shrugged. "Well, it's true so..." 

“Sometimes, I don’t know why I’m friends with you.” 

“Because you love me.” She winked. "Anyway-" She hopped off the counter and playfully punched his arm. "-I'm due in the library. See you later." 

MG gave her one of his half smiles. He didn’t seem to know what he thought about it and she understood. Her actions were strange. He tried his best to be a good friend and she didn't exactly make it easy. 

Penelope picked up another grape and headed out of the kitchen. She chewed thoughtfully, wondering how this was going to play out. She'd clearly gotten on Hope's bad side. She wondered how angry Hope could be. 

Perhaps she should toy with her a little more. She knew how to push someone’s buttons and, with how unstable Hope was, it would be only too easy. 

Penelope pushed open the door to the library. With day in it, there would be no one else there but them. All alone in detention. This would be fun. She walked inside and looked around. 

"Ah, glad of you to join us," Dorian said, appearing out from behind a shelf. Hope was in tow, arms folded across her chest. Her frown was very pretty. 

"You're welcome." Penelope gave them a mock bow. "I am _so_ ready to organise some shelves. Where do we get started?" 

Dorian gave her a look but she saw the twinkle in his eyes. "Uh huh. Okay, so basically come back here." He led them towards the back of the library where Penelope rarely went. Not that she spent a whole lot of time in the library as it was. 

And when they turned around a shelf, her heart sank at the pure mountain of books on the ground. At least three full sized shelves' contents had been spilled onto the floor. Piles upon piles of leather bound books sat before them. 

"As you can see," Dorian said. "This needs to be tidied up. Alphabetical order starting from the top over there. Also no magic to do the job, it won't work and we'll know if you did." 

As expected. If they could use magic to just whisk the books back into their place, it wouldn't be much of a punishment, would it? But there was so many of them. Penelope’s amused attitude was slipping. 

"How long should this take?" Hope asked. 

Penelope saw her dismay reflected back at her and chuckled. This would be tedious but at least they both got it. 

"Eh… depends. How good are you at arranging shelves?" 

Terrible. But Penelope shrugged as if she didn't care. 

"Right, so that's all you need to know. I'll be back in a couple hours time-" 

"Wait, you're leaving?" 

Dorian arched an eyebrow. "You don't think I have better things to do than supervise a couple of kids? Nah. This is supposed to be an exercise to make you two work together. So no fighting, got it?" 

They both mumbled their agreement. Besides, Penelope wasn't feeling confrontational today. She was feeling… well, she didn't really know what she was feeling. Her gaze slid to Hope. It would be interesting detention that was for sure. 

Dorian grinned and clapped his hands together. "Good. Then get to work." 

And that was it. As he left, Penelope turned back to the pile of books. Where even to start? She couldn’t even count them. 

She knelt down and grabbed the nearest book. Huge and dusty with the title engraved in gold. _Sacrifice: A History of Fallen Witches_. 

"S… okay then," Penelope mumbled. 

Hope knelt down next to her and they started arranging the books in silence. They fell into a rhythm that neither needed explaining, piling first by name to find an order. One book on top of the other and their piles grew while the mountain shrank not at all. 

Penelope didn't mind the quiet but she wondered what Hope was thinking. Every so often, she spotted Hope staring at her. Never for long periods of time but enough to know it lingered on her. 

There was something else between them. 

Penelope placed another book on her pile before pushing it to start a new one. Her fingers briefly skimmed Hope's as they reached for the same book. 

A force drawing them together. Penelope fought back a smile. "So… Lizzie and Josie, huh?" 

Hope inhaled sharply and her eyes shifted from side to side. 

“I’m just curious.” 

"What are you after?" Hope demanded but it lacked the anger of yesterday. "Do you want to torment me over a crush?" 

"So I'm right then?" 

Hope's eyebrows furrowed when she realised what she'd just admitted. Perhaps it was a secret then, one that Josie clearly didn't know. She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." 

Penelope was surprised that Hope was being honest with her. Hope wasn't friends with her and despite her thing about honesty, was known to lie to protect herself. She'd assumed this was one of those times. 

But apparently not. 

So Penelope decided to test the waters. "I mean… I get it." 

"Yeah. Aren't you like in love with Josie or something?" 

A sore spot. "...it's complicated. Josie and I…" Penelope didn't really know what to say. 

She did love Josie and she knew Josie felt the same way. But they couldn't be together, not like this. No matter what Penelope tried or said, there was nothing going to give. She tried to protect her as best she could but eventually it wasn't going to be enough. 

"Huh." Hope twisted where she sat to look at her. A hint of a smirk lingered beneath her lips. "Finally showing some kind of human emotion." 

"Ah," Penelope held up a finger. "We both know neither of us are human, Mikaelson. But emotions are something I do have." 

Hope dropped her books and scooted over until they were facing each other. Her eyes were bright and narrowed at her. "So is it jealousy? The reason you provoked me?" 

"Jealousy? Pfft. Nah, again, you’re not a threat. I just wanted you to kick my ass." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Gods know I needed it." 

Hope's eyebrows furrowed. "What?" 

"..." Penelope heaved a sigh. "Things haven't been great for me recently. I needed a… boost?" 

A flash of sympathy. "Things haven't been great for me either." 

Penelope had felt it in her punch. A lot of unreleased rage gathered behind her shields and if left untapped, would blow up. Penelope had watched, experience, knew how it went. 

"Do you want to get mad?" Penelope asked, leaning towards her. "I can take it." 

Hope stared into her eyes and it was like she couldn't look away. Her gaze was magnetic and Penelope was sinking. Heat spread through her chest. 

"Do you want me to?" Hope murmured. 

She was close, so close, lips parting gently. They were alone. No one would be around to hear them. Anything that happened in the library would stay in it. 

"... Maybe." 

Was Penelope a masochist? Maybe. Hope was just really hot. 

Hope tilted her head. For what seemed like ages they stared into each other's eyes. Penelope could have lost herself in them. 

Hope stood up and inhaled. "You're so annoying, you know?" 

Penelope grinned. "I try." 

She followed suit, stepping away from bookshelf towards the centre of the library where the long table was. They'd prefer to lessen the amount of magic hitting the bookshelves. 

Hope was a powerful witch and Penelope knew that. For some reason, being a tribrid only amplified her powers in ways they couldn't dream of. Penelope had never fought her—except for yesterday. 

"Are you sure?" Hope asked again. 

Penelope grinned and crooked a finger at her. "Just let it all out, baby. Let your anger go." 

Why was she doing this again? Penelope didn't remember. All she could focus on was the rising rage behind Hope's gorgeous eyes. It simmered like hot coals before bursting free with intent to burn. 

Hope screamed and threw her arms forward, a burst of energy exploding. 

Penelope threw up a shield and it shuddered around her. "Just like that!" 

Relentless she was, Hope's pain never seemed to fade. Penelope was beginning to worry she wouldn't be able to hold on. She was a strong caster but Hope was another level. 

The next thing she knew, Hope collided with her. A rush of body against hers before they pitched back onto the table. Penelope sprawled back with Hope on top of her. For a few seconds she lay in silence before cracking an eye open to look at her. 

"Hey," Penelope said. 

"Hey." 

Hope stared down at her, lips falling back into an easy smile. 

"Thanks for this," she murmured. "I… find it hard to let go." 

"Anger festers," Penelope replied simply. 

But neither of them moved. 

Hope lay atop her, fingers delicately closed around each wrist but pinning her effectively to the table. Knees on either side of her waist, straddling her and a simple tightening sent heat rushing to Penelope's core. 

Penelope stared up at her. 

What was she doing? 

Hope slowly came closer as if she couldn't resist. A magnetic force drew them together until Penelope felt hot breath against her lips. She opened her mouth in anticipation, waiting. 

"Penelope?" Hope's voice was low. 

"If you're going to kiss me, do it," Penelope growled. "If not, then get-" 

Hope kissed her. Hot and rough, teeth quickly tugging at her bottom lip before releasing and diving back in again. She was overwhelming. Penelope groaned into her mouth. She tried to reach for her face but Hope's grip tightened on her wrists. She pinned her effectively, taking complete control. 

Penelope wasn't used to surrendering to another. She was naturally dominant but with Hope, she gave herself completely. And Hope took, breaking away to kiss a hot open mouthed trail down her neck. 

"Hope," she groaned, starting to struggle. "You are…" 

Hope shifted forward and nipped at her earlobe. 

"I'm what?" she murmured. 

Hope dragged her wrists together over her head to hold them in one hand. Her free hand slid down to caress her cheek. 

"Annoying," Penelope huffed. She reckoned she could break out of Hope's hold if she really tried but decided against it for now. She would see how it played out. 

"Hmm…" Hope leaned back down to kiss her throat again. 

Hope was part vampire but she didn't have her fangs yet. But when her teeth scraped lightly over the pulse in Penelope's neck, she almost lost it. The temptation, burning heat coming from her. She wanted more. 

But Penelope didn't beg. Not for anything, and not to anyone. 

Penelope slowly ground her hips upwards, fighting back a grin at Hope's surprised squeak. Two could play at this game. 

Hope sat back, face flushed and eyes wide. 

"Is this…?" _Really happening?_

Penelope understood. If someone had told her yesterday that she would end up making out with Hope Mikaelson in the library she'd have laughed. Yet it was a reality. 

"Unless you want to get off," Penelope said then smirked. "But I mean, that works both ways." 

Hope's eyes widened before settling back into her confident smile. No hesitation as she leaned back and let go of her wrists. Penelope could only watch as she stripped off her shirt. Eyes roamed down the pale skin of her neck over the swell of her breasts and down her abs.

Penelope ran a nail lightly across her stomach. Of course Hope was ripped. Was that really any surprise? 

"I like this," she commented, sitting up. 

Penelope leaned in and when Hope didn't stop her, started to kiss down from her neck. Slow and sensual, with clear intent. 

Hope's whimpers were needy and music to her ears. 

A hand ran through her hair. Fingers gripped her clothes. A husky whisper. Gods, Penelope was gay. 

As Hope rolled her hips, Penelope tugged off her own shirt. She needed contact, needed her hands against her and then maybe her mouth. Skin flushed red. 

"Hope-" 

Hope kissed her before she could say another word. Her skin was hot to touch. 

Hope stood up and started to wriggle out of the rest of her clothes. 

Penelope grunted as something grabbed her by the wrists. An invisible force held her hands against the table. 

Penelope groaned. "A spell? Really, Hope?" 

Hope smirked and traced a hand down her stomach, nails leaving faint white trails. "So I can have you right where I want you. Unless… you don't like this. But I know you do." 

Penelope's eyes flashed. Was this a challenge? 

"I'm rough," Hope murmured, caressing her thighs. "Because when I finally have what I like, I take it wholly." 

"I like it rough." 

An odd pairing they were. 

Hope leaned down to kiss her again and then Penelope lost herself in the sensations of Hope's hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so my Penelope is a power bottom and I take no criticism lol ☺️


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, so first of all, Happy Legacies day! Yes, I know it was actually yesterday but hey, I only got to watch it today (timezones) so yes, Happy Legacies Day! I'm updating a day early so I hope you enjoy 💜💜 
> 
> (also I know some of you might be a little disappointed at the fade-to-black, but I'm currently not comfortable writing smut, which could change in the future but for now is where I am at. So hey, kinda sorry but also please understand)

About an hour later Hope sat on the ground, pulling her clothes back on. 

Only a few metres away, Penelope was doing the same. 

Hope couldn't believe what they'd just done—what _she'd_ just done. She'd never in a million years have dreamed that she would have sex with Penelope Park in the library while they were both in detention. She'd never have dreamed she'd even have sex in the library, nevermind with _her_. 

But sometimes life was like that. Surprising. Weird. Just plain strange. 

Hope peeked over her shoulder to see the flex of Penelope's back muscles as she reclasped her bra. After several relentless rounds of passion, they'd finally fallen back and separated. Neither had said a word yet. Hope had never done something like this. 

Penelope was… interesting. Sexy. Unfair with her tongue and fingers, able to draw sounds from Hope never knew she could make. Hope found her irresistible. 

Eyes met hers and only then did she realise she'd been caught staring. 

"Like what you see?" 

Hope flushed red and stammered an apology. 

Penelope only laughed. 

"Relax," she chuckled. "I know you do. If the last hour has anything to say." 

She stood up and brushed back her hair, letting Hope have a good look at the state of her neck. Almost vicious bruises dotted their way under her shirt and surely trailed lower. Hope liked to claim her territory, perhaps a wolf-like instinct. 

"... I guess." 

Hope got to her feet as well. 

"I guess? Pfft, rude. Look at me. I'm irresistible." 

Hope opened her mouth to argue then closed it again. Right. She wasn't exactly wrong. She had no idea what to say now. 

Penelope stood up and murmured a spell. From her hands erupted a pink cloud. The scent of roses filled the air. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Masking the scent. Sex lingers if…" she paused, "...specifically vigorous." 

"Oh." 

"What? You never had a quickie in the library?" 

"What? No! Have you?" 

Penelope's eyes twinkled. "I don't kiss and tell, love." 

"Ach! _Whore_." 

" _Prude_." 

But there was no bite to either of their insults. Yesterday Hope might have snapped at her but now, some barrier had been broken between them. It was different. 

Penelope didn't seem too bothered as she strode back. 

"... I forgot we still had these books to sort," she groaned. 

Hope had as well. She'd been so caught up in the moment that she forgot they had an actual job. That they'd done exactly none of. They'd made several piles but it was a tiny fraction in the mountain before them. 

Dorian would be back soon and he'd know they hadn't been working the whole time. She didn't want another detention. 

Hope's gaze flickered to Penelope. On the other hand, maybe she did. 

"Well? You going to come help?" Penelope flashed her a grin. "Or did I wear you out too much?" 

Hope rolled her eyes. "Oh, Penelope, do tell me what it's like to be a walking sex goddess. I just _can't_ function anymore." 

Penelope chuckled. "Your words, not mine." 

Hope joined her by the pile of books. There was too much for them. "What are we going to do?" 

Penelope frowned. "I… I have no idea." 

Hope frowned. Dorian had specially told them no magic but… was he really going to notice? How would he? As long as she wasn't too obvious, left some books so it seemed like they were only getting through it. 

"Um… here, take my hand." 

Penelope wiggled her eyebrows at her but did as she asked. Her hands were warm, fingers gentle despite she knew the strength of them. 

It was then that Hope remembered that Penelope wasn't a Gemini twin. She didn't need to siphon magic from her. No wonder she'd been amused at her request. She'd humoured her though. Perhaps she'd wanted to hold hands. The touch was intimate, a caress to her heart. It fluttered and she looked away. 

"Anyway!" Hope raised their joined hands. 

She chanted a spell and Penelope joined her. 

The books started to glow before they floated into the air in front of them. Shaking in their covers, they spun. 

"It's working," Penelope commented. 

"Yeah but-" 

She was interrupted by a scream. One of the books rocketed into the ceiling and then hit the floor. 

"Oh, no." 

Another joined in but this one barrelled into the shelf next to them. And knocked it clean over. 

"Shit, move!" 

Penelope grabbed her arm. The books screamed freaked out, spiralling across the room. Pure chaos exploded. All around them, shelves started falling, spilling their contents across the floor too. 

"Take cover!" 

The whole room was made bookshelves except… 

And then Hope and Penelope crouched under the very table they'd just had sex on to hide from magic flying books. 

"This is bad," Hope said. "I thought it would work!" 

She hadn't thought some of the books would be cursed. No wonder Dorian had said no magic. 

Penelope nodded and flinched as a bookshelf behind them fell over. "We are in _so_ much trouble." 

"Hey, hey, hey! What is going on?" Dorian's voice rose over the clatter. He ducked into the room. "Hope? Penelope?" 

"Seriously? I can make you scream but this is what he hears?" Hope muttered. 

Penelope choked. 

Dorian spotted them and ducked as a spot whizzed over his head. "What did you do?! I said no magic,!" 

"Well, I didn't know this would happen! You should have been more specific!" 

Penelope chuckled. 

What a damn ordeal. Hope exchanged a glance with her and saw her smile mirrored back. 

* * *

Later that night, Hope stepped out of Dr. Saltzman's office again and sighed. 

Naturally, they'd gotten in trouble for ruining the library. Hope had thought the whole thing was unfair—no one had warned them of what would happen. Sure, they'd been told not to use magic but they were witches. It was in their blood to use magic. 

Dr. Saltzman hadn't agreed. 

So she and Penelope had another detention to clean the mess up. Or part of it anyway. She doubted they'd be able to clean the whole thing by themselves. 

Dorian, at first annoyed, was actually quite amused by the whole situation. He shrugged. 

"Well… that was fun," Penelope said as they started to walk back towards their rooms. "Don't you think?" 

"If by fun, you mean terrible, then yes, I guess it was fun," Hope replied. 

This meant another detention. With Penelope. Her cheeks heated. This would probably be supervised to make sure nothing like last time happened. That meant what had actually happened probably wouldn't happen again. Not that she wanted it to, oh no not at all. 

Penelope chuckled. "Perhaps a round two-?" 

"Hope!" 

To Hope's surprise, Josie ran up to them.

"Oh, hey, Josie," she greeted. 

Penelope's whole demeanour changed and her smile fell. "Hey, JoJo " 

Which Josie promptly ignored and focused on Hope. 

"Hey, I didn't see you since the pitch, are you okay? Why were you fighting Penelope?" 

Penelope who was standing right next to Hope but Josie pretended like she didn't exist. Hope didn't know the whole story but she knew that something had gone down the summer they'd dated. Which resulted in a weird feud between her and Saltzman twins. Specifically Lizzie. She was quite in love with Josie. 

"Umm, well…" Hope turned to Penelope. 

She'd made a point of avoiding both Lizzie and Josie to avoid hurting her heart anymore. Which meant that now both of them were concerned. Or maybe just Josie was. One could never know with Lizzie. 

"I was being an ass," Penelope answered. "As usual." 

Hope arched an eyebrow and Penelope shrugged. It was true at least but maybe not how Hope would have said it. Not that they could have told Josie the real reason they were fighting. 

Josie cast her a glance. "I didn't ask you." 

Penelope's expression shifted and she gave a smirk. "Right. Okay, well, I'm going to go. See you around, prude." 

"Bye, whore." 

Penelope blew her playful kiss. 

Josie's jaw dropped as Penelope walked away. "Are you two friends now? What was that?" 

Hope winced. "Friends… I wouldn't say. But we bonded during detention." _We did a lot more than bond._

Hope had no idea what she was expecting from Penelope now. As she'd said, they weren't friends and they definitely weren't girlfriends. But something had changed when she decided to kiss her. There was potential for something to grow. 

"Hope…" 

"What? Josie, I know you two have history but she… I don't know. She's cool." Hope was really struggling right now. "I don't know. We just talked a bit." 

"... sure." Josie frowned. "No but seriously, you fought her? Why?" 

Hope winced. "It's… it's complicated. She… she was just making comments and it's been a stressful week, you know? I snapped. And then well-" 

"Oh my God, there you are!" 

Suddenly, out of seemingly nowhere, Lizzie swept down upon them. She looked stressed and grabbed both their arms. 

"Come with me. We need to talk." 

Unable to stop her, Lizzie dragged both Hope and Josie with her down to their room. 

Hope caught a glimpse of black hair as someone vanished around the corner. Penelope? Had she been waiting for her? 

They did need to talk about what happened, no matter how casual Penelope had been afterwards. Hope didn't know the protocol. Were they just friends—or not-friends—with benefits that had a one time thing? Did she expect more? Did Hope even want more? 

Her gaze lingered on Josie's face. She had a crush on her and so has Penelope. Then this happened. Both of them were so screwed. 

"Hey!" Josie whined. "Okay, we're here, what do you need?" 

Lizzie folded her arms. "Okay. Sit down. We need to talk." 

Hope sat on Lizzie's bed. At least she'd saved her an awkward conversation with Josie. She did not want to explain why she and Penelope fought. It would lead to either awkward lies or a bad truth. 

"Okay, so there's this guy-" 

"Oh my God, Lizzie," Josie groaned. "There is _always_ some guy. What about Hope? Don't you care at all?" 

"What?" 

"Hope fought with Satan herself, remember? They had detention?" 

Lizzie was very… self interested. Hope wasn't too surprised that she hadn't remembered about her detention, especially as she'd specifically avoided both of them. 

"... I assume it was terrible. She-Devil is infuriating, I just wish _I_ had been the one to hit her-" 

"No! No, they're actually friends now." Josie side eyed her suspiciously. "Isn't that right, Hope?" 

Now both eyes were on her and she was beginning to feel a little hot under the collar. Hope shifted uncomfortably. 

"I wouldn't say _friends_ but we got past our argument. So acquaintances." 

"With _her_? Hope, as our friend, you must understand we don't make friends with the evil of our school." Lizzie strode over and sat down next to her. "Please just think about it. Her heart is made of stone." 

Hope glanced between Josie and Lizzie, trying to gauge their reactions. 

They would never forgive her if they found out she'd fucked Penelope. 

"Okay, okay!" She held up her hands in surrender. "Forgive me for giving her the benefit of the doubt." 

"She is far past the benefit of the doubt. The only thing deserving of her is the fiery pits of hell." 

Hope said nothing. 

She knew the Penelope aggravated the twins despite her feelings for Josie. Maybe she just had it out for Lizzie. The two were almost joined at the hip so it was easy to strike both at once. She didn't know her motive. Maybe she was really as cruel as they said yet Hope thought otherwise. 

"Lizzie, you were talking about a guy?" Hope tried to steer the conversation away from Penelope. 

Lizzie's eyes lit up. 

"Oh, yes!" 

"Okay so basically…" 

Hope had successfully distracted her and kept the conversation away from herself. Josie turned and once again focused on her sister. 

Hope listened and commented as she usually did. 

But her mind kept wandering back to her. 

Penelope's wicked smile and sharp eyes. The soft plains of her skin. The rapid rise and fall of her chest. The little desperate noises she'd made when she touched her. 

Hope sighed. Why couldn't her love life ever be simple? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has commented on this fic (even kudoed tbh). Genuinely, the Legacies fandoms is so generous with your comments, it made my heart swell. I'm so glad people like what I wrote (for a rarepair nonetheless) 💜💜 so thank you so much!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, I am very sorry for the wait! Life's getting a little busy (curse exams T-T) but hey! Henelope 😏😏😏

"I'm sorry, _what_ are you telling me?" 

Once again the past few days, MG stared at her like he couldn't believe her. Admittedly, if Penelope had heard herself she'd never have believed it. 

"Yes. I slept with Hope and I need advice." 

Penelope hadn't known where to turn. She had to keep this a secret because she'd yet to talk to Hope, even though it had been a few days since. She'd hadn't forgotten it. She still remembered the feeling of her kiss and hands, fingers wringing her body loose and sending tremours through her spine. 

"Hope? As in _Hope Mikaelson_?" 

"Yes, yes, _yes_." Penelope smacked his arm. "Say it louder, why don't you?" 

It wasn't like they had much places to go between classes so for now, she'd settled for whispering her secrets in an empty corridor. There was no one else around. Yet. There was every chance someone could wander down and the last thing she wanted was for them to find out what happened. 

"I'm sorry, I just… trying to wrap my head around it." MG shook his head in disbelief. "Damn, P, I'd never have thought you two…" 

"I know." 

The world was crazy sometimes. Penelope leaned back against the wall and folded her arms. "So? What should I do?" 

MG squinted at her. "What do you _want to_ do?" 

See, that was the problem. Penelope had no idea what she wanted to. It wasn't like Hope had been her first to happen under unfavourable circumstances. She'd dealt with many a messy relationship before. 

But Hope was… different. 

They had some weird connection that burned every time they locked eyes. It sent heat down her spine, made her fingers curl and her heart flutter. Did Hope feel the same? Penelope had no idea. And she didn't want to ask her outright. 

"I…" 

MG waited. 

But Penelope had no answer. What did she want from Hope? She was attractive—Penelope wasn't blind. Anyone with eyes could see that Hope was easily the prettiest girl in the school. She might have a bias towards Josie yet Hope still lingered. 

"Wait, are you… crushing on her?" MG gasped. 

"What? No. I-... I like Josie, remember?" 

"Uh huh, yeah. You can like two people at the same time-" like Hope, she remembered bitterly _,_ "-and you are definitely crushing on her." He jumped up. "I have _never_ seen you get so worked up about anyone. Not even Josie. And you had history with her." 

"Shut up." Penelope rolled her eyes. "I… it's just complicated, okay? Hope isn't your average witch or werewolf or vampire. And she's friends with Josie! And Lizzie. Like… what do I do here?" 

She wondered if Hope had told them yet or if she too was keeping it a secret. How would they react? Penelope's mind strayed to Josie and imagined her lips curling in that adorable pout. Josie would never admit it but it would hurt her for both of them. 

Penelope groaned and started pacing. "I don't like her like that, okay? It was just a one time thing." Or was it? Their last detention had been uneventful with Dorian watching their every move. They hadn't exactly talked. But she felt Hope's gaze on her when she wasn't watching. There was still something there. 

"Then you should talk to her," MG said. "Just about… what happened. It's what people do—or _should_ do." 

Penelope nodded. "I guess…" 

She hated the fact that she was getting so worked up about it. What happened to her heart of stone, as Lizzie so called it? She was used to hiding her feelings behind a shield but everything was spilling. Because of Hope. 

"You okay?" 

MG was a good friend. She didn't really deserve him. It was a pity Lizzie had zero interest in him. He was a good guy, Penelope didn't like to see him getting his heart crushed. 

Penelope nodded. "Yeah. 'Course I am." She rolled her eyes. "Relationships are messy, not that you would know anything about them." 

"Hey! That's unfair!" 

"Uh huh, yeah," she mimicked, earning herself a glare. "Um… human Dana doesn't count because she was using you. And… oh, no one else." She was just teasing. 

"Well, what can you say? You can't date anyone because you're still in love with Josie. And now Hope. You have _great_ taste in girls that won't ever love you." 

Ouch. Yeah, she'd deserved that. 

"Whatever." 

As if on cue, the bell rang. Their argument was cut short by distant footsteps and the movement of students. And thus, they knew they couldn't talk about this anymore. If anyone else overheard… they didn't. 

Penelope cocked him a wave. "Well, I have to bounce. Uh, good talk. See you." 

MG rolled his eyes. "See yah, P." 

And he was gone, rushing off to his next class. 

Penelope stood for a second in the empty corridor and took a deep breath. Soon the corridor wasn't empty and she had to continue on as if she wasn't in intense internal turmoil. She needed a game plan. 

She had magic biology and then it was lunch. She'd go find Hope and try talking to her. She hoped that Josie wasn't with her but after recent events, they'd grown closer. She and the twins were real buddy buddy now. 

Her heart twisted. 

"She's like a fucking siren," Penelope groaned to herself. "How? She has to have a goddamn harem at this point." 

Penelope never conformed to society just as a point. But it appeared even she couldn't resist the wonder that was Hope Mikaelson. 

After the day, Dr. Saltzman had decided it was best not to let students handle the library and worked on it himself with the rest of the staff. Part of her was put out that they separate her and Hope. What, did they think they'd been fighting? Not a bad assumption, given previous events. 

But it also meant she didn't have an excuse to talk to her. 

Penelope sat in class twirling a pen between her fingers. Her teacher droned on about things she was sure was important but she didn't care. Her mind wasn't focused. She hated it. Usually when she was bored, her thoughts strayed to Josie but now they were wandering to someone else. 

When the bell rang, she was first out. 

Penelope frowned. She actually had no idea where Hope might be. She'd never paid much attention to her movements before now. 

But she did know where Josie might be. 

Of course, it depended on the day but the twins often went to the docks for peace and quiet at lunch. No one ventured down there. 

Penelope wandered outside, wondering how she was going to do this. Or even what she was going to do. Kissing was one thing but fucking needed a whole conversation. She hadn't even known Hope liked girls before that. 

She heard her laugh before she saw her. 

Hope sat next to Josie, laughing at something she'd said. Lizzie was there as well. Great. This would make things even worse. 

Penelope took a deep breath and stepped out onto the dock. Footsteps gentle but intentional. 

"Hey." 

They looked at her, conversation cut off. The air shifted. Penelope was well aware that two out of the three clearly hated her. But she'd grown indifferent to their looks and smiled back sweetly..

"No one summoned a demon, did they?" Lizzie said dryly. "No? So scatter." 

Penelope smiled. "Not here for you, drama queen. Or you, JoJo-" Josie closed her mouth, and pouted, "-I'm here for Hope. Can we… talk?" 

Hope blinked once then twice. Confusion clouded her eyes before she blushed. And nodded quickly. 

"About what?" Josie said sharply. 

"Not concerning you." 

Something twisted within her delighted in the way Josie's eyes narrowed. Was that jealousy in her gaze? Penelope had never really toyed with a jealous Josie but it appeared it was all too easy. Maybe she'd been playing the wrong game. 

"Yes, um, yes," Hope started to get to her feet. 

"Wait, are you leaving?" Lizzie interrupted. 

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Believe it or not, this doesn't involve you, Lizzie. So we're going to talk in private." 

Neither of them seemed to know what to say. Josie flashed Hope a glance. Hope shrugged as if she didn't know. 

Penelope smiled. "Good to see you." 

"Can't say the same," Lizzie said. 

Penelope winked, taking delight in her cold gaze. 

Hope nudged her and she stopped. The simple contact, brush of the hand against her shoulder, sent a shiver down her spine. A fucking siren indeed. Did she even know the effect she had on people? 

"Let's go." 

Two words, soft and gentle. Her stomach fluttered. Penelope and Hope walked away from the dock and twins in silence. Away until they were out of sight, earshot and presence of anyone at the school. And then finally, Penelope turned around. 

"So… I think we need to talk." 

They were completely alone in the woods. The only other noises was the gentle twitter of birds overhead and the rustling of small creatures slipping between the flora. It was a nice day, similar to the day they'd fought. 

Hope nodded. 

"Do they know?" 

"Josie and Lizzie? Of course not. Lizzie would probably kill me!" 

A fair point. Josie would be softer but still angry. Lizze, on the other hand… Penelope had experienced her rage first hand when she and Josie broke up. It wasn't a pretty sight. Honestly, she could be quite scary when the mood struck her. 

"Did you tell anyone?" 

"MG." 

Hope's eyebrows furrowed. "MG? Why?" 

Penelope smiled. "Well… let's just say that I had a problem. I didn't want to out you to the other witches so I thought a friend was best." 

Besides, she trusted MG more than most people. He was loyal and trustworthy, having proved himself many times over. She was lucky to have him. 

"Right. Okay." Hope fidgeted, eyes cast to the ground. "What do you want to talk about?" 

"Huh? Can't you guess?" 

"-! Yeah, I mean but-!" Hope fell quiet. "I never… did _that_ with someone. So I don't really know what to do." 

"So what do you want to do?" Penelope found herself mirroring MG's words from earlier. 

Hope flushed. "I… I don't know." 

A lie. 

Penelope could feel it from her. She looked up to see Hope staring right at her. And she stepped towards her. As if she couldn't resist, Penelope did the same. 

Soon they were standing face to face, almost touching, barely centimetres apart, staring into each other's eyes. 

Hope's eyes shone. 

"Can you feel it?" Hope murmured. 

A force drawing them together. It was magnetic, irresistible. 

"I…" Penelope's voice trembled. "... it-…" _inhale_ , "-yes." 

Hope pressed her forehead against hers, fingers reaching for her face. But they didn't kiss yet. The touch was sensual, stirring heat within her. Penelope's hand skimmed her waist and tugged until Hope was pressed against her. 

"You like Josie,"' Hope murmured. 

"And you like both of them…" 

"Is this not wrong?" 

"Are you going to stop?" 

The silence was deafening. 

Penelope took her chin between her fingers and slowly tilted her face upwards. 

When she kissed her, Hope leaned in. 

It lacked the heat of the detention together but it held its own fire. Burning between them and pinning them together. Penelope couldn't let go. A tongue caressed hers as soft-padded fingertips traced their way down her cheek. 

"So what now?" Penelope asked breathlessly when she pulled away. 

"I… I don't know." Hope looked up at her. "They can't know, not yet." 

Penelope knew that. Both of them had unresolved feelings with the twins. Before they tried anything serious, they needed to be dealt with. How, she didn't know. She didn't know if she could ever get over Josie. Penelope had her reasons for what she did and she didn't know how she was going to talk to Josie about it. What would it mean? 

"Can I kiss you again?" Hope whispered. 

Penelope nodded. 

Magnetic. Intense. She couldn't let her go. Even as lunch ended, Hope didn't pull away and neither did Penelope. Lips locked in feverish passion, they pressed together in the shadow of a tree. 

Penelope could have stayed there for hours. Just losing herself in Hope. 

But as it was, life wasn't like that. They didn't get the luxury. 

"Hope? Hope?! Penelope?!" Someone was yelling for them. 

Penelope jumped and broke away from Hope. 

"What?" 

Hope turned, eyes narrowing as her lips pulled into a frown. "What's that?" 

"People are coming. Let go." 

They both quickly detached themselves them each other. Penelope fixed her clothes so they didn't look like they'd just been making out. 

And it was a good thing she did because then suddenly the people appeared. 

"Hey." Josie stood in front of them with Dr. Saltzman. 

"Hi, sir. What's going on?" 

Dr. Saltzman arched an eyebrow. "Um, well, uh, you were missing from class. Josie told me you two went somewhere together and well, given a few days ago…" He coughed, "We were worried." 

Josie's eyes were accusing. 

For once, Penelope didn't know how to respond. 

"Oh, no, we just lost track of time," Hope said, lie easy. "We were just talking." 

Penelope nodded in agreement. 

Josie hadn't said anything yet and it appeared she wasn't going to. Part of Penelope wanted her to but then again, maybe it was better she didn't. Her heart was in enough turmoil. 

"Okay, good. You still need to go to class." 

"Ah, right, sir." 

Hope made to move but tripped, a root hidden under the leaves. 

Both Josie and Penelope moved at the same time. 

Penelope caught her and so did Josie. Their fingers brushed. Josie met her eyes and Penelope couldn't look away. Was it anger?

Dr. Saltzman coughed and then it was broken. 

Penelope stepped back and Josie helped Hope to her feet. 

They walked back in silence but both their presences prickled her skin. 

Hope was irresistible. Penelope was in for a ride. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been a while and I do apologise. Mental health has taken quite the kick recently 🙃 but without further ado, the last official chapter of Magnetism! 
> 
> This was a my first real taste of the Legacies fanfiction scene and I hope to be writing more eventually 💜 so thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

The next few months were more amazing than Hope had anticipated. She didn’t know how to describe it but Penelope was… something new and so different from any previous relationships she’d had. 

There was a fierce fire between them that ignited every time they saw each other. The brightness of her eyes drew her in. 

Half of their relationship was passion. After everything that happened in the library, there wasn’t much that they hadn’t done. There was shyness for their second time but after testing boundaries and moving together, they found their rhythm. 

But the other half was gentle. 

Penelope had her shields and so did Hope. She never pushed her past her comfort zone, though her teasing was relentless. 

Hope hadn’t dated much in the past, besides Landon. So her experience in the area was thoroughly lacking. Even so… it was great and she was happier than she’d been in a long time. 

They weren’t dating though. Not yet, if ever. Both of them still had feelings for a Saltzman that they needed to deal with. So whatever was between them was kept a secret and unnamed. 

Unfortunately, keeping it a secret was the hard part. 

Now that she had left her ‘lone wolf’ days behind, her friends were always around. Hope loved them but she also hated hiding things from them. They trusted her and she trusted them. Yet here was something she couldn’t tell them. 

There was too much to figure out, not to mention the fact that both Lizzie and Josie hated Penelope. 

Hope tried asking both parties why this was but each closed off the moment she mentioned the others name. It was like walls went up. She was curious but there was nothing else to do. No one wanted to talk about it and it appeared there was no changing it. 

“It’s nothing, Hope,” Penelope shrugged, lazily running a hand through her hair. “Josie and I… just had our differences.” 

“There has to be more than that,” Hope said. “She hates you. But you love her.” 

“Love is a strong word.” 

“Your word, not mine.” 

Penelope went silent again. 

And Hope didn’t ask anymore. 

It was hard dodging her friends though. At this point they had to know that she was friends with Penelope. They spent a lot of their time together, claiming projects at first but eventually stopped making excuses. Little waves across the room, smiles across the corridor, they weren't hiding their friendship, just that it was a little more than that. 

Hope wasn't too sure about how Josie or Lizzie felt. It was clear they didn't exactly approve but neither stopped her. 

She was glad. 

Penelope was really beginning to mean something to her. 

Sitting at the docks became their thing, somewhere they'd go together that wasn't too suspicious but also private enough that Hope could steal kisses whenever she wanted. They'd sit and watch the water under the sky, hold hands like school girls and kiss. 

It was nice. 

Penelope was kind and wonderful, even if she didn't act like it. But under that ridiculously dramatic exterior, she had a soft heart that cared far too much about things she couldn't control. She couldn't let go. 

One day, Hope pinned Penelope back against her pillow with a searing kiss. Fingers slid through her hair before caressing her cheeks. Hope liked it rough, nipping sharply at her lips. 

Penelope groaned low in her throat. 

Late at the weekend, when most people were either out or sleeping. It was the perfect opportunity for them to get some real alone time. 

Keeping their relationship a secret meant that they had to be extraordinarily careful about when they were intimate. Meaning that Hope often got pent up and needy. Penelope didn't help, often whispering in her ear and touching her in ways that sent shivers down her spine. She enjoyed teasing her. 

"Hey, prude," Penelope grinned, as Hope leaned back to pull off her shirt. 

" _Whore_ ," she retorted before stripping Penelope of her own shirt. 

She wanted her out of her clothes as quickly as possible and then that mouth on hers. Penelope lay beneath her, content to just smirk up at her neediness. A hand wrapped around her neck before pulling her down to kiss her again. 

Heat was building. Penelope whined against her, fingers tracing down the length of her back. Lips against her neck. 

Hope's hands were reaching for her pants to- 

"Hey, Hope! Josie says you have her- holy mother of-!" 

Someone shrieked from the doorway and Hope sprang off Penelope. Right onto the floor. A sharp pain raced up her elbow and she winced.

"Lizzie!" 

"Babe-" 

"What are you two doing?" Lizzie gasped. "I… oh my God, my eyes! -are _burning_. I did not need to see either of you half naked!" 

"Shut the door!" Penelope hissed, rolling off the bed to find her shirt. 

Lizzie surprisingly did so. She closed the door and stomped over to the bed, eyes narrowed. She'd caught them red handed. And neither of them could deny what was happening. She'd been so careful, so many times dodging around friends to be with her. And just one time they'd been unlucky. 

Hope grabbed her clothes and hurriedly threw them back on. This wasn't good. Now that Lizzie knew, it was only a matter of time before Josie did as well. "Lizzie, I can explain-" 

"Oh my God, this is why you've been freakishly happy, isn't it?" Lizzie's eyes widened. "You know at first, I was like 'oh good for Hope' but it was _weird_. Giggling to yourself, getting lost in daydreams, it was like you were in lo- oh no. I think I'm going to have a heart attack." 

"Always one for the drama," Penelope said dryly. 

"Not now, _Satan_." Lizzie whirled onto Hope. "When? Why her?" 

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Not everyone hates me, you know. Unlike _someone_ in this room." 

"Ladies." Hope realised that she was the bridge between them. Or maybe the wall to keep the peace. "Lizzie. You can't tell Josie." 

Lizzie's jaw dropped. "Josie doesn't know? Of course she doesn't. You are _insane_. She will absolutely-" 

"She will what?" 

Hope's heart plummeted into the floor. 

Josie stood in the doorway, head tilted. She seemed pleasantly happy but her eyes were narrowed in sharp suspicion. Hope looked between her, Penelope and then Lizzie. 

At least they had their clothes on for this. 

"Oh, _hey_ , Josie," Lizzie said with fake enthusiasm. "What- what are you doing here? I was just getting my shoes off Hope." 

Josie arched an eyebrow before stepping into the room. "You were taking a while so I came to see what happened. And now, I am very curious to know what's going on." 

Hope looked at Penelope helplessly. Penelope shrugged. 

"Oh, um, _nothing_ ," Lizzie insisted. "Just, weird friends! These two are… so strange! Haha!" 

Okay so Lizzie was not helping in any way. She was just making things worse. Josie turned to look at her. 

"Hope?" 

Hope wrung her wrists. She didn't want to do it like this. If anything, she'd have liked to have come clean not after being caught. But she'd been running from it for so long. So maybe it was good that they finally had to reveal the truth. 

She glanced at Penelope who only gazed back. And nodded. They'd hidden it for long enough. It seemed it was time to come clean. 

"Josie… I'm seeing Penelope." 

Josie froze, and tried to process. "As in her?" 

Penelope chuckled. "Yes as in me." 

Josie's gaze flickered between the two of them. Hope couldn't read her expression but her pout deepened. That pretty pout of hers. As wonderful as Josie's smile was, she loved her pout as well. What was she thinking? 

Things could change. Hope didn't think she could choose between them. 

"Penelope? A word?" 

Surprise bloomed on Penelope's face but she nodded. 

Penelope gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before she and Josie left the room. Silence settled over and Lizzie as Hope tried to figure out what had just happened. She didn't quite understand, it all happened so quickly. She hoped they weren't arguing. 

"Okay… normally I wouldn't like to spy on Josie but this calls for drastic measures." Lizzie stomped over to her. 

Hope also wanted to spy on them. Josie was one of the most important people in her life but so was Penelope now. She needed to know what they were saying. 

"Do you know a spell?" Lizzie asked. 

One. But it wasn't very reliable and was literally never used. But it was worth a shot. She grabbed Penelope's jacket from the chair. Taking Lizzie's hand, she inhaled. 

"Ostende mihi faciem eius!" 

Her body did a jumpstart and then suddenly her vision flooded with a scene of outside their room. Lizzie's sharp gasp from beside her told her she experienced the same. 

Penelope faced Josie, eyes soft but lips tight. From afar, they seemed like they were just having a chat. But here, the air hummed with tension and nerves. 

Josie paced forward a step before coming to a halt, arms folded across her chest. "How long?" 

"A few months. When we had that detention together… something clicked." 

Gone was Penelope's playful persona. Instead, she gazed at Josie with such a strange expression. Usually whenever Penelope looked at Josie it was like the world revolved around her. But it was different now. Accepting. 

"Are you happy?" 

"Yes." 

"Do you love her?" 

Pain flashed across Penelope's face. "Hope still has problems from her past loves." 

"That wasn't what I asked." 

Silence. And then- 

"Yes." 

"Oh, damn," Lizzie murmured from beside Hope. "Who knew Penelope Park is actually romantic?" 

Hope had no idea what to say so she kept her mouth shut. Her heart thrummed in her chest, quickening as she realised exactly what Penelope had just revealed. She'd hadn't known. 

"Does she love you back?" 

Penelope laughed and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "That is a _good_ question." 

This wasn't how Hope had wanted to find out how Penelope felt about her. Over the past few months they'd grown closer together. Hope loved her time with her. They hadn't labelled anything yet because of both their pasts yet they connected so easily. 

Was she falling in love? Hope blushed. 

"... I'm glad you're happy," Josie said softly. "That you moved on." 

It had to hurt her, and Penelope, to say that. But for both of them, it was the best. They'd been too hung up on each other to continue with their lives. And now they were free to move to whatever they wanted. 

"Where did we go wrong, JoJo?" Penelope asked softly. 

Josie smiled. "You push. You push to try and help but you pushed too far." 

Pain entered Penelope's eyes and she looked at the ground. Voice softer than a whisper. “There is a reason I pushed. I thought, I _hoped_ , you’d find out without my interference but I tried to help you. I am sorry.” 

“What reason?” 

Penelope’s expression flickered. “It is not my secret to tell. You should ask your dad what he knows about the Merge.” 

The way she said ‘merge’ made it sound like it had a capital m. Hope had no idea what she was referring to. 

“I don’t understand,” Josie said. 

“Maybe you will.” 

And she said nothing else. Hope could tell Josie wanted to ask more but both of them knew that was the end of the conversation. They were finished. Hope wondered if they could be friends after all this. She hoped they could. 

“Is that all?” 

“Don’t hurt her, Penelope. She’s had too many people hurt her.” 

Penelope smiled, that wonderfully gorgeous smile that Hope loved seeing. “Don’t worry. She has a much higher chance of breaking my heart.” 

“Wow… you two are getting serious, huh?” Lizzie gaped at her. “And you still didn’t think to tell me?” 

Hope flashed her a look. "It's complicated, okay? I'm sorry." 

Hope glanced back at the scene to realise that Penelope and Josie were moving towards the door. The door of Hope's room. “Oh, shit, they’re coming back!” 

Hope snapped her fingers and they jumped out of the spell. With barely seconds to compose themselves as though they hadn’t been listening, Hope leaned back in what she prayed was a casual pose. She threw Penelope's jacket off the bed somewhere that it definitely hadn't been before. Whoops. 

The door opened to reveal Josie and Penelope. Both were smiling softly. Once, Hope’s gaze would have gone to Josie without question but now, she was pulled towards the other woman with her. 

“Oh, yes, Hope!” Lizzie beamed in her falsely happy way. “The… sky _is_ nice today.” 

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Real-” Hope glanced at the ceiling, “-woody...” 

Very smooth. Not suspicious at all. 

“Um… okay.” Josie arched an eyebrow but didn’t question anything. 

Penelope, on the other hand, hid her widening grin under a hand. 

Lizzie sprang off the bed and to Josie. A hand closed around her arm. "Let's go." 

Josie opened her mouth and then closed it. Confusion bloomed across her face. “I haven’t talked to Hope yet. I just want-” 

“Oh, no, she gets it,” Lizzie beamed. “We’re _cool_. Strange she’s dating Satan but cool. We are supportive friends!” 

Josie looked like she wanted to protest more but Lizzie was like a force of nature, dragging her from the room before she could do anything. Hope gave her a shy wave to which Josie only rolled her eyes at. They were okay. Surprisingly, not mad but maybe that was better. They'd grown. 

“What was that about?” Penelope asked as she sat down next to her. 

“We were eavesdropping. I was worried and Lizzie was, well, nosy.” Hope didn't even bother trying to lie to her. That wasn't how she wanted her relationship to be. She could only be honest with her. 

“Ah. I see.” Penelope paused. “So you heard all of that? Including…?” 

“That you love me?” 

“Yeah. Okay. Um…” Penelope looked all around the room, anywhere that wasn’t her. A blush stained her cheeks. “I didn’t want to say anything, Hope. We aren’t even dating, it’s a whole thing but-” 

“I’m falling for you,” Hope admitted. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?” 

Penelope's widened and it took a few seconds to fully register. Hope liked the joy that spread across her face. And she kissed her gently. Penelope threaded her fingers through hers as she leaned her forehead against hers. 

“We are so weird,” she chuckled. 

“Mmhmm, but I kinda like weird,” Hope grinned before kissing her again. 

They'd been interrupted earlier and the mood was gone. But Hope could settle for just kissing. Now they were guaranteed no interruptions. So for a few minutes she just lost herself in kissing Penelope. 

“So... are we gonna tell everybody?” Hope asked. 

“Hmm… I was thinking maybe we don’t.” Penelope leaned back against the sheets and stared at the ceiling. Hope fell down next to her, sliding so easily into her arms. “What if… just stop hiding? And let them figure it out?” 

“You want to toy with them, don’t you?” 

“Maybe. It will be _so_ funny.” 

Hope laughed and nuzzled into the side of her neck. She inhaled. Now, Penelope was warm and her scent comforting. She could have stayed like this forever. “I think I love you too.” 

“You don’t have to say that.” 

“No. I don’t. But it’s true.” 

Penelope’s eyes were dark and magnetic, the force between them as strong as ever. Hope never wanted to let go. 

“You know… Josie is kinda the reason we got together,” Penelope pointed out. 

“Because we both had it hot for her?” 

“Uh… I would not have said it like that but yes?” Penelope grinned. “Remember you used to like Lizzie?” 

Hope groaned. “Oh, don’t remind me. If she found out, she would never let me forget.” 

Those feelings had been very real and Hope would never forget them. But over her time with Penelope, they’d faded. She wasn't the same anyone and she only wanted one person..

“Ha. She definitely wouldn’t.” 

Hope laid her head on Penelope’s chest and sighed. She closed her eyes and drifted off, surrounded by the love and warmth of Penelope Park. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading 💜 
> 
> Now, while this might be the official end, there is another chapter: the alternate Phosie ending 👀 please do anticipate as perhaps I liked that ending better...


	6. Chapter A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have it, lads. The final chapter. I hope y'all like Phosie 👀 Please enjoy!

Josie Saltzman was really gay. 

Well, she was actually really pan but the same sentiment stood. She liked what she liked and when she did, she felt it intensely. 

Which sucked ass. 

All through her life, she'd had crushes on friends, acquaintances, the random waitress that served on Thursdays. Her feelings were strong. Each amplified in her chest until she couldn't control how she felt. So each time, she stepped away. 

Which was why last summer had gone so terribly. 

Well, for the most part it had been wonderful. Penelope was… in every way sensual. Behind her stone heart was one that cared deeply. Josie had been in awe that she had that all to herself. 

It was rare that any of her crushes ever liked her back, or weren't stolen by Lizzie. Not that Lizzie would ever try with Penelope. They both clashed with the other too much—the idea was funny. 

But it ended badly. 

She was done with Penelope and moved on. It didn't matter that she lingered like a cloud of smoke. They weren't ever getting back together. 

So why was she always crossing her mind? Why couldn't she stop thinking about her? 

"So you _don't_ think that Hope's been acting weird?" Josie questioned. " _Really_?" 

Lizzie shrugged. "Can't say I've noticed. That girl is always a little strange. Who really knows what's going on with her?" Her sister absentmindedly flicked through her book. 

"Strange, yes, but like this? It's weird! Come on." Josie leaned forward, waving her hand to get her attention. "You have to have noticed it by now. Lizzie!" 

Lizzie shut her book with a dramatic sigh. She cocked her head and smiled. "Okay, fine. Why? What has she been doing?" 

Josie wanted to scream. Of course, Lizzie didn't notice what she did. They might be friends now and Lizzie was working on her mental health and everything; didn't stop her from focusing more on herself. Josie had always paid more attention to Hope but that still wasn't an excuse. 

But Josie put on a smile. 

"Well, for starters, she's friends with Penelope." 

"Oh, gods, don't remind me," Lizzie groaned. "It's bad enough that hellspawn still roams our halls but now she's hanging out with Hope? Ugh. I walked in on them two days ago, _weirdos_. Doing a project or something. Friends with Penelope, pfft." 

Josie prickled. She held the same sentiments. 

She wanted to warn Hope about Penelope but didn't exactly know how. Besides, MG was also friends with her so maybe Josie was biased. 

"Yeah! And she's happy. Like weirdly happy." 

That might be a strange thing for her to say but as long as they'd known Hope, there'd been a cloud floating over her head. She'd had a tough past. Even when with Landon, she'd still lacked the energy of an average teenager. Something darkened lingered behind her pretty eyes that kept her up at night. 

But in the recent weeks, Josie kept tabs on her—she always did for… her own reasons. 

And Hope was happy. 

What about Josie didn't know. Life was calm and average for once in their life but it wasn't that. Something was making her happy. Something special. 

"Or _someone_!" 

Her twin, always on the same wavelength, had reached the same conclusion as her. That it was _someone_ as opposed to something. 

"Hope has a secret boyfriend!" Lizzie gasped. 

Josie gave her a look. 

"Or secret girlfriend, sure, yeah." 

"Lizzie-" 

"Who do you think it is?" Lizzie sat up and scanned the room. "Oh, it could be anyone right? It better not be that hobbit of an ex again, she is _so_ done with him." 

"Hey!" Josie interrupted. "Do you really think she wouldn't have told us?" 

They were friends, close friends, now. They talked everyday and Josie felt closer to her than ever. Not close enough to suit her but good friends. She'd have expected her to at least mention it. 

"Hmm… good point. And surely I'd have heard something…" 

"Unless, she has a reason not to tell us." Lizzie gasped and turned to her. "Maybe it's Rafael! As an ex, girl code says he's off the table. So maybe…" 

Josie glanced over at where Rafael sat with Landon. Honestly she didn't think Hope would have gotten back with him. Their relationship hadn't ended well, for reasons that Hope refused to talk about. And Rafael… he just wasn't Hope's type. Or at least Josie hoped he wasn't. 

"I think we're getting ahead of ourselves," Josie admitted. 

"Hey, you were the one who said she was acting weird. I'm just theorising." 

Josie nodded. "I know. I just… I think it's weird. Should we ask her?" 

"I don't know-" 

"Hey, Josie. Lizzie." MG plonked himself down in the chair next to her, beaming in the way only he could. "What's up?" 

"We're talking about Hope." 

"Hope? What about her?" 

"Just she's been acting weird recently. We don't really know why." 

"Speak of the devil and she will appear," Lizzie murmured under her breath. 

Josie followed her gaze. Across the hall, Hope and Penelope appeared through a doorway, laughing between themselves. Josie's heart twisted in the way it always did when she saw either of them. Cold and tight, unforgiving of what she couldn't have. 

She looked back to see MG's face draining of colour. 

"You know something." 

"What? No! I don't!" 

Josie's eyes widened. "Oh my God, you know something. MG! Secrets? Really?" 

"Well, tell us!" Lizzie demanded. 

MG shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the two of them leaned closer. Josie knew how intimidating they could be—the Saltzman twins, Gemini witches. They were a force to be reckoned with. "I can't." 

"Ah ha! So you do know something!" 

MG groaned and looked anywhere that wasn't them. He was seriously considering fleeing. 

"MG… come on, is it bad? I don't understand." 

"Look, you gotta ask her, I-..." MG stood up suddenly. "I have to go." 

Neither of them stopped him because he was clearly uncomfortable. Part of Josie felt bad for grilling their friend like that but the other selfish part was wickedly intrigued. He knew something about Hope's weird attitude and Josie was determined to find the source. How… 

Lizzie arched an eyebrow. "Now I am very interested by this. MG knows something I don't?" 

Josie didn't quite understand. MG wasn't really friends with Hope, not like her and Lizzie. So why did he know something they didn't? Unless Hope really didn't want them to know. She frowned. But to tell MG was odd. 

"Earth to Josie?" Lizzie waved a hand in front of her face. 

"It's suspicious but maybe we should just… do nothing?" Josie knew that was the right thing to do but she also wanted answers. 

Lizzie shrugged. "I'll find out eventually." She reopened her book. 

Josie sat back. Her mind was running circles around her as she tried to figure it out. MG couldn't have learned it from Hope, that just didn't make sense.. If he didn't know from Hope, then he had to have learned from someone else. MG was a fairly popular guy. 

But that Hope was also friends with… Rafael? No, not him. Kaleb? She doubted that. Landon? Definitely not. 

But then Josie realised there was one person who she hadn't considered. That had recently become close to Hope in a weird way. MG wasn't close with Hope. 

But he was friends with Penelope. 

Josie shot to her feet and without a word to Lizzie, ran after MG. He was quicker than her but she had an idea where he might be. It was only too easy to find him and he wasn't exactly hiding. 

"MG!" 

MG looked at her. He sighed. "Oh, hey, Jo. What's going on?" 

"What you know about Hope, it has to do with Penelope, doesn't it?" she demanded. 

"Look, Josie… I really can't-" 

"Dammit, MG, why?!" 

She didn't know why she snapped. A hot rush of anger surged through her. She needed to know for her own fucking selfish reasons. And MG knew. He had to tell her. One way or another, she'd find out. 

"Dude, chill… it…" he grimaced, "Penelope told me something but I really can't tell you. It is about Hope. But you didn't hear from me." 

"But what? What can they be trying to hide?" Her mind flashed to her earlier thoughts. Or _someone._

Josie's eyes widened. "No. No _way_." 

MG winced. "P is going to kill me." 

Josie spun on her heel and walked away from him. She didn't realise how rude that was because her mind was focused on one thing. Hope and Penelope. She couldn't believe it. 

Hope was sitting on the dock with her back to her, humming contently to herself. It was like she was waiting for someone. 

"Oh, hey, Josie!" Hope greeted, smiling. 

Her smile was lovely but Josie didn't have time to appreciate it. She stormed up and stood over her, hating the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Was it nerves? 

"Are you dating Penelope?" 

Hope's smile faded and alarm grew in her eyes. She didn't say anything but it was answer enough. 

"I can't believe this." 

"Josie, I-" 

"And you didn't think to tell me? Hope, you're my friend. Even if… it's _her,_ I thought you'd be honest." 

Hope threw her hands in the air. "It's complicated, okay? We aren't dating, not exactly. Both of us have… feelings that are getting in the way." 

"But you would be?" 

"No! No, that's not what I'm saying!" 

"Then what? If you aren't dating, I don't get it. Why hide it?" 

"We're friends with benefits." 

"You had _sex_ with her?!" 

Hope quickly realised that she was making everything worse. 

Josie could hardly hear her. She didn't know what she wanted. She'd wanted to know but maybe she'd been better off ignorant. She'd been the one to break up with Penelope, she'd been the one who wouldn't take her back. And Hope, she didn't even stand a chance with. 

How could she- 

"Hey, Hope, I was wondering- oh. Hey, JoJo. What are you doing here?" 

Josie turned to see none other than Penelope Park standing on the edge of the dock. It was cruel fate that both of them fell for each other. Her feelings were strong. And they hurt so fucking much. 

"I can't believe you," she breathed. 

"Excuse me?" 

"You and Hope? Are you kidding me? What is your problem?! Why do you want to hurt me so badly?!" 

"Hurt you?" 

Penelope's gaze slid past her to Hope. 

Hope sighed. "She knows." 

Penelope nodded and looked back at her. So long ago Josie had been the one to be in love with those dark eyes. Not anymore. "Well… um… not everything is about you, Josie. This is something between Hope and I." 

"You expect me to believe that? You are _obsessed_ with me. Why can't you just accept that we are never getting back together? Leave me alone!" 

Penelope's eyes were dark. "I didn't do this to… why would this hurt you? That doesn't make any sense. You hate me. So… really why are you angry?" 

"Unless…" Penelope's face drained off colour. 

"Unless what?" 

"You have a crush on Hope." 

Josie opened her mouth. Then closed it. Shit. This wasn't what she'd come here for. Hope was her friend before anything else. She couldn't do this to her- 

Penelope looked between her and Hope, seeming to come to her own conclusion. 

Her expression was unreadable. Closed off, lips pursed as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. "I have to go." 

"No, wait, Penelope-" 

For once Josie didn't see the longing in her eyes but only an endless dark. She'd shut herself off. And she walked away. 

Josie watched her go, helpless. Her feelings had gotten the better of her. And she pushed. Pushed like Penelope pushed her and again it ended badly. She hadn't meant to, she hadn't wanted to. 

"Josie." 

She turned to Hope. 

"I'm… I'm sorry," Josie breathed. "I didn't mean…" 

Hope's expression softened and she sighed. "I know. It's just… well, that would be a sore spot for her." 

"I know." 

"We should talk to her." 

Josie nodded. 

"Do you really have a crush on me?" 

Josie nodded again, couldn't bring herself to admit it out loud. 

She didn't expect Hope to say anything else, especially after what she'd found out. It was cruel fate that the two women Josie loved would come together right in front of her face. Her heart twisted. Again, she lost. 

Hope said nothing but a faint smile touched her lips. 

"Where would she go?" 

"To be alone," Josie said. 

And right now, there weren't many places she could be alone in. They walked through the woods in silence. Josie wanted to say something, to apologise. This was exactly why Hope hadn't told her about them. Because something like this would happen. 

Penelope had once told her to go for what she wanted. So why did it always end so badly? 

Penelope sat on the steps of the Old Mill. She wasn't looking at them, head in her hands. Josie had never seen her like this before, not even after their break up. Did Hope really mean that much to her? 

"Hey." 

Penelope didn't even look up. 

Hope tried next. "We need to talk." 

"There isn't much to talk about." 

"What?" 

"I mean, it's obvious what's going to happen, right?" Penelope sighed, raising her head. "You're going to break off whatever we have and be with Josie. So I get to see the two women I love be in love without me." She sighed. "But if you're both happy, then can I really be angry?" 

"Wait, what?" 

"I have a crush on you," Hope admitted. 

"You, what?" 

Penelope chuckled bitterly. "Have you come to do it in front of me? Because to be quite honest, I don't think my stone heart can take it." 

"No. No, I wouldn't-" 

"Just be happy, Hope," Penelope said sharply. "You know this only happened because you were hung up on the Saltzmans." 

Josie gaped at her. "As in plural?" 

"I liked Lizzie too, not important." Hope took a step forward. "And you were hung up on Josie. Circumstances change. I like you. A lot." 

"And what about you, JoJo? You going to let her walk away when you can finally have something? She loves you." 

Josie had no idea what to say. It appeared they were stuck in their twisted love triangle but where everyone liked everyone. And how could they possibly choose? 

"We don't." 

"What?" 

The world was cruel but they didn't have to choose. There was nothing that said they had to so why would they? Mind made up, Josie grabbed Hope's hand and pulled her with her until they were right in front of Penelope. 

"Do you still love me?" 

Pain flickered in her eyes and Penelope nodded. 

"And her?" 

Another nod. 

"Hope?" 

"I… I like both of you." 

Josie took a deep breath. "Well, I have feelings for both of you. So… um, yeah. Polyamory is a thing." 

In this circumstance, it seemed like the logical thing to do. They could all be happy together. It seemed like a dream but Josie knew it could work. She and Hope clicked, she and Penelope worked, and Hope and Penelope were already there. It made the most sense. 

"I've never… done that before," Hope said. 

"Neither have I," Josie agreed. 

Silence. They both stared at Penelope. 

Penelope's eyes had brightened and her confident swagger returned. "I don't kiss and tell, ladies." 

" _Shut up_." 

"Are you serious about this?" Penelope murmured. 

Josie nodded. More serious than she'd ever been. This could work, this could end without heartbreak. She truly loved both of them and they… they loved her too. And each other. Maybe she could have what she wanted. Just this once. 

Hope took her hand, thumb rubbing gently circles into her skin. Penelope reached out and the three stood in a circle. Unspoken agreement. Yes, they would try this and if it didn't work, go their own separate ways. Josie's heart fluttered. 

But the silence dragged as none of them realised what to say. Because what could you say after that? 

Josie chuckled and took the time to break the silence. 

"So… Lizzie?" 

Hope sighed and closed her eyes. "Please don't. I hear enough from Penelope." 

Josie found herself giggling, and then Penelope laughed. Hope tried to pout but ended up joining them. Half of the laugh was shy awkwardness but it was just right. 

This was… an unusual situation to say the least. She'd come out upset that one of her friends was possible dating her ex but ended up in a relationship with both of them. 

She'd never gotten anything she wanted, thought, she'd lost both of them. But in reality, she had both of them. And she loved them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, thank you so much for reading! I really enjoyed writing this and hope to write more in the future 💜 Henelope is one of my favourite ships. 
> 
> Also, feel free to request something from my Tumblr~

**Author's Note:**

> Did you enjoy it? If you did, consider leaving a comment or something nice 💜💜
> 
> Find me on [Tumblr](https://the-demons-behind-your-smile.tumblr.com), I'd love to hear from you ^-^


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